Anthrax Album Ranked

Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981 by rhythm guitarist Scott Ian and bassist Dan Lilker. The group is considered one of the leaders of the thrash metal scene from the 1980s and is one of the “Big Four” thrash metal bands with Metallica, Megadeth, and Slayer; Anthrax is the only one of the four from the East Coast and often credited as one of the early thrash metal bands to emerge from there, along with Overkill and Nuclear Assault. The band has released 11 studio albums, several other albums, and 26 singles, including collaborating on a single with American hip hop group Public Enemy. According to Nielsen SoundScan, Anthrax sold 2.5 million records in the United States from 1991 to 2004, with worldwide sales of 10 million.
Anthrax’s lineup has changed several times over their career. The band has had a number of vocalists including Neil Turbin, Joey Belladonna, Dan Nelson, and John Bush. Founding member Scott Ian and early arrival Charlie Benante, who joined Anthrax in 1983, are the only band members to appear on every album. Bassist Frank Bello has played on every album, except for the band’s debut Fistful of Metal, which featured Dan Lilker. After briefly rejoining the band from 2005 to 2007, Belladonna returned to Anthrax once again in 2010, and the band has since recorded two more studio albums with him: Worship Music (2011) and For All Kings (2016). Here are all of Anthrax’s albums ranked.

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11. Stomp 442 (1995)

“With the departure of lead singer Joey Belladonna from the 80s metal group Anthrax in the early nineties, fans might have been forgiven for thinking that the writing was on the wall for the highly regarded speed/thrash metal outfit. Imagine the surprise then when, with new recruit John Bush in the frontman position – recruited from fellow US metallers Armored Saint – Anthrax burst back onto the scene with The Sound Of White Noise in 1993. Two years later, they were back again, this time with Stomp 442. Although well-received by pundits and listeners alike, it disappointingly undersold, a fact you can’t help but find unbelievable on listening. Opening with the brutal “Random Acts Of Senseless Violence”, Anthrax states their intent through the commercially-edged “Fueled” to “American Pompeii” and the metallic anthems of “In A Zone” and “Riding Shotgun”.A criminally underrated album, deserving better than it got, from a truly underrated band who, with a legion of adoring fans, may one day receive the true plaudits they deserve.”

10. Volume 8: The Threat Is Real (1998)

“This is an outstanding album. John Bush’s singing goes perfectly with Anthrax, IMO, and this album is a perfect example. The first four songs on this disc absolutely rock (Crush, Catharsis, Inside Out, and P & V) and from there on, the album is pretty solid throughout, including a couple of high speed, short, kind of funny throw in songs here with 604 and Cupajoe, which pretty much rock out for about a minute each. Besides the songs I’ve already mentioned, some other standout tracks on here are Born Again Idiot, Alpha Male, and Stealing From A Thief. I would have given this album 5 stars if not for the out of nowhere country hoe down song Toast to the Extras which just seemed completely out of place on an Anthrax album. It’s actually not an awful song, it just doesn’t fit with anything else and doesn’t feel like it belongs. Also a couple of filler songs in the middle like Killing Box and Hog Tied keep it from being a 5. Besides those couple of flaws, though, this is a kick-butt album that I highly recommend it to any fan of heavy metal or John Bush-era Anthrax. It gets better every time I listen to it!”

9. For All Kings (2016)

“Boy this is a refreshing joy to listen to. I don’t know anything about Anthrax’s previous music. Out of the “big four” I only listen to Metallica and Megadeth, and some Slayer here and there, but I just never got introduced to Anthrax. I heard Breathing Lightning on the radio last Spring (2016) and I loved the hard rock and metal influences portrayed in that song. Also, it was hella fun to sing along to in the car on my way to my internship every once in a while. I have been playing this album in my car non-stop pretty much since I got it in the mail. Packaging was fine, CD itself in perfect condition.
I’ve heard they are just following a standard formula for hard rock/ thrash metal that has been successful and there is no innovation in their music. Yeah, whatever, anonymous reviewer, maybe I like that formula. It’s fun. 10/10 album Absolute Joy.”

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8. We’ve Come for You All (2003)

“This is a monster album, with heavy guitar licks and riffs, and the speed that we all have come to expect from Anthrax. The new five-man line up featured on the album also places back the depth that was lost after the SOUND OF WHITE NOISE album. With songs like “Think about an End” and “Any Place but Here”, modern hard rock/metal bands get a display of why guitar solos will always have a place in metal. So go ahead, you will not be disappointed.”

7. Fistful of Metal (1984)

“This is Anthrax’s first album and I remember a friend put it on and I said who in the hell is this and he to me and the next day I went to the Record Warehouse and bought a copy and was an Anthrax fan for life. That was on vinyl (I still have it) and I have not listened to it in a number years. I just happen to come across it on Amazon and I could not pass it by the MP3 version. What a great buy as It took me back to 1984. Songs like “Deathrider,” “Metal Thrashing Mad,” and “Howling Furies” came back to me as if I had heard them yesterday. If you are an Anthrax fan, I highly recommend this album.”

6. Sound of White Noise (1993)

“This is by far one of my favorite anthrax albums. It marked the introduction of lead singer John Bush, and continued in the vein of their best album persistence of time. Leading of with the track potters field, this rips through a series of intense, fast paced songs that Anthrax has been well known for over the years, but with a darker, and more political insightful view. It was not just fun and games. Best tracks on this Album are Black Lodge, Only, This is not and Exit, and 1000 points of Hate.”

5. Worship Music (2011)

“This is immense, a stunning return to form. I’ve got to say I didn’t have great expectations for this, I’ve plodded along with Anthrax for years and not a lot they’ve done matches up to the visceral teenage thrill I got listening to Spreading the Disease and Among the Living, (although The Sound of White Noise was pretty good). It’s not to say that they haven’t had their moments over various albums, however, but this album is just great song after great song.
 The songs are credited to Anthrax, not Just Charlie Benante as in the past (Stomp 442, etc). You could take ‘Fight them till You Can’t’ and put it on Among the Living and it’d fit right in. I think the band has rediscovered what made them great in the first place – good old fashioned thrashing.”

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4. State of Euphoria (1988)

“This was the follow-up album to the classic “Among the Living” and doesn’t stray to far from the sound perfected on the aforementioned album. It does go darker with the lyrics and less on the comic book/movie references of the past. It still has those fun references in abundance, but the lyrics also begin to deal with societal ills and religious hypocrisy (subject matter further explained on the next album). This is a great album overall and it is a great addition to the golden era of Anthrax (the golden era of 80’s thrash in general). It contains some of their most iconic songs including the amazing cover song “Antisocial”. If your a fan of 80’s thrash or Anthrax, you already own this album, but if you don’t, buy it today!”

3. Persistence of Time (1990)

“This is my favorite Anthrax album as of recently. I haven’t been too big on the band in the past, I have Spreading the Disease and Among The Living, but those albums never really did anything for me. Yes they are good thrash albums with good songs, but I was beginning to believe maybe Anthrax and I just wern’t meant to be…until I heard Persistence of Time. This is their 5 star, best release. The songs flow together better than any other of their albums. If you want to add to your thrash collection I would, without a doubt pick this up. Its their best album.”

2. Spreading the Disease (1985)

“One of the first Anthrax tunes I’ve ever heard, a long time ago, was Armed and Dangerous. Amazing piece of metal. Since then, i wanted to get the whole record. The entire CD is flawless, every song is amazing: some fast, some mid-paced, Belladonna shines in this record. Lots of highlights everywhere. The production could have been a little better, for today’s standards, but hey, it was 1985. This is one of the best Anthrax albums with Among The Living and Fistful of Metal. Period!”

1.Among the Living (1987)

“AMONG THE LIVING is characterized by its fast songs, powerful guitar riffs, and political awareness. The line-up at the time consisted of Scott Ian on rhythm guitar, Joey Belladonna on vocals, Charlie Benante on drums, Frank Bello on bass, and Dan Spitz on lead guitar. (This incarnation of Anthrax would go on to record two more full-length studio albums and is affectionately known as the classic Anthrax line-up.) Beginning the album is the title track “Among the Living,” a quintessential thrash song with its brutal fast pace; Belladonna’s energetic vocal performance amplifies the intensity, and Benante’s thunderous double-bass patterns (showing that he can hang toe-to-toe with Slayer’s Dave Lombardo) tear through the mix to drive the song all the way home. The second and third tracks are two concert mainstays, “Caught in a Mosh” and “I Am The Law.” The former boasts a growling bass intro leading into another classic thrasher with a simple but catchy refrain; “I Am The Law,” meanwhile, locks in an early groove and maintains a mid-tempo approach (at least, for a while), giving the song’s lyrics (about a “bad-ass cop”) a chance to find its space.”